


Dances in Disguise

by Happypanda1864



Series: Tagatha Short Stories [1]
Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Halloween, School Dances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:59:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happypanda1864/pseuds/Happypanda1864
Summary: A Halloween masquerade ball is upon the students of the School for Good and Tedros just happens to find himself the girl of his dreams, unfortunately, magic only lasts until midnight.
Relationships: Agatha/Tedros (The School for Good and Evil)
Series: Tagatha Short Stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909231
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Dances in Disguise

Halloween was the only holiday Agatha could tolerate. Being mischievous and acting devilishly was acceptable and her usual wardrobe was on theme. She didn't have to change anything about herself to be accepted. It was the reason why she liked it. So, it was safe to say that when the news of a Halloween ball arose, she was not excited. Halloween was just a week away when Agatha learned that it was in fact a masquerade ball. Greattttt. Balls were not her thing. Ever since she passed out during ballroom dancing practice she hated the idea of being stuck in a room with a bunch of stuck up royals, listening to classical music with overly fancy, inedible food. Agatha was already thinking of excuses to get out of going when her ears picked up Professor Anemone's voice.  
"This dance will count towards your final scoring. So...if any of you ladies were thinking of opting out, I would reconsider." Anemone offered her an extended glare which made Agatha sink in her seat.  
"Now girls! I know you're excited to share your outfits with your friends but this is a masquerade you must wear your mask at all times. There will be no exceptions. The point of this exercise is to not judge a book by its cover. You must learn to be selfless and see deeper than just what is on the outside."  
Agatha rolled her eyes. She didn't believe that half of these girls could look past anything that wasn't on the outside. She quietly slammed her head on her desk and let out a groan as Professor Anemone continued the class.  
~  
Tedros hated balls and dances. He never understood why Evers liked celebrating everything with a ball. They were boring. The food was mediocre at best. You couldn't relax, there were basically no chairs. The music was made for old people who enjoyed chess as a sport. Literally, nothing had a beat. The worst part of the balls was the company. Being the prince Tedros' smile was always to be plastered on his face. He couldn't express disinterest, especially about the company provided, who were mainly girls expecting a marriage proposal and chest-loads of gold for their unbearable time. If he wasn't getting his toes stepped on during an overly slow waltz, he was getting his ear talked off by a nasally voiced princess using her daddy's kingdom as a way to entice him, or getting his sense of smell destroyed by their heavy, overly pungent floral, clearly expensive perfume. The single detail about the ball that intrigued Tedros was the fact that it was a masquerade. He could spend the entire night not being chased around by people only interested in what his name and what his status would do for them. He also liked the idea of possibly hanging out with a mystery girl the entire night. Maybe he could find himself a Cinderella that didn't care about prince charming's money or lack thereof. That was the whole point of this stupid dance anyways. Might as well try to get something out of it.

~  
The day of the ball couldn't have come any later. Agatha was feeling sick. First, she hated the idea of getting glitzy. She could barely stand to look at herself in the mirror let alone sit in front of a giant, wall to wall groom room mirror as the nymphs prettied her up. Second, who would she hang out with, the Nevers weren't allowed so she couldn't rely on Sophie. Kiko would be wearing a mask and in something other than her uniform so what if Agatha couldn't find her. She would also probably preoccupy herself with finding Tristan. Kiko deserved someone better but if that's what she wanted...who was Agatha to argue. Lastly, what if she had to dance with a boy. None of the everboys were nice to her let alone give her the decency to help her not fail. Maybe the mask would be a plus? But she would still know, the silent torments she faced from those stuck up, airhead boys that called themselves gentlemen. At least she wouldn't have to directly deal with Beatrix and her posse. Maybe there was a plus to this stupid thing. The heavy wooden door creaked as Agatha pushed it open. The room was cleared out as most of the girls had already gotten their makeup and hair done. Agatha got 2 steps into the room before being pushed into a warm bath infused with a delicate aroma of vanilla and rose. After getting scrubbed furiously she was sat in the cushioned pink leather makeup chair. She felt the warm air of the blowdryer on her face as she was turned away from the mirror. With her hair no longer dripping, the real hard work began. She could sense the soft tugging of her hair and the slight flutter of brushes on her face. She could see small particles of different powders floating in the air in front of her. Eventually the hands in front of her face stopped moving and she was quickly ushered behind a pair of curtains. She was given a gold colored petticoat. She had the skirt on when a pair of nymphs entered holding up a beautiful ruby red dress. She held her arms up as the slightly heavy fabric was dripped over her head. Agatha examined her reflection in the partially covered mirror. The dress was plainer than anything she had imagined but it was nice. The dress had a straight neckline lined with gold that transitioned beautifully into the lacy-sheer off the shoulder straps that draped delicately on her pale arms. She liked the way the velvet pleats looked over the skirt, as it slightly concealed her gangliness. The gold ruffles from the petticoat peeking slightly from under the red skirt complimented the straps and lining wonderfully. Everything looked good in her opinion. She was about to turn and leave when another pair of nymphs came into the small room holding a pair of gloves, a folded fabric, a pair of heels, and what Agatha guessed was a corset. This was what she was dreading...The corset was the first thing she was dressed in. Three nymphs were involved in the tightening of the laces. Agatha felt like her breath was being stolen from her. The corset sat higher than she assumed. Eventually she was able to breathe normally again. The corset was a slightly darker shade of red with golden lining and ribbing in the shape of vines branching out. The sheer dark red cape was pinned to her shoulders. It was lined with the same material as her sleeves in order to make the transition seamless. As that was going on, Agatha slipped the gloves up her arms. They stopped slightly above the bend of her elbow. The fabric felt soft against her skin. Agatha was complacent for the whole makeover until the shoes came out. She could barely manage to walk in her uniform heels which were drastically shorter than the heels presented to her now. She was definitely not going to put herself through torture for a mediocre grade. She kindly denied the nymph that was trying to strap the heels onto her ankles. She took a seat as most of the nymphs left the dressing room. Tying the laces on her clumps was a process but she managed. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Now the outfit was completed. Agatha had stayed silent for the process. For one, without the help of the nymphs, she would have definitely ended up going to the ball in one of her nicer charred nightgowns. She hadn't seen herself dolled up once in her life. Sophie has tried to give her makeovers but she really just ended up looking like a 3 year old who had just gotten their hands on their mom's makeup and went to town on their doll. She honestly did look pretty. At least from what little she could see of her face. The majority of her face was covered by a fallen curtain. Maybe this whole ball thing wouldn't be too bad.  
~  
Tedros had timed his arrival to be slightly later than the first crowd so he wouldn't have to be there as long or deal with the awkwardness of being first but he still ended up getting bored in the first few minutes of being there. After everyone had arrived, the giant white marble doors had been shut as a way of preventing students from leaving early without being caught.  
Everyone was mainly sticking with their friends on the outskirts of the dance floor. The teachers tried desperately to get the girls to interact with the boys and vice versa. Tedros was currently leaning against a pillar away from the rest of the group. He was snacking on a handful of candies that he had stolen from the snack table. Tedros had told himself that as soon as he finished his candies he would go back to his friends and pretend to have fun for the rest of the night. He had popped the last cherry flavored candy into his mouth and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was beginning to make his way across the crowds when the opening and closing of the loud, heavy door caught his attention. It was a girl, she was stunning. Everything about her was beautiful. It was slightly superficial to think like this but Tedros had to get to know this girl. He was sure he would have recognized a beauty like her before. She had ebony black hair and divine porcelain skin. Her hair was decorated with a gold circlet of weaving wires, a single ruby teardrop resting gently on her bangs. Her neck was adorned with an emerald-cut ruby choker with gold chains, dripping pearls. Everything about this girl was on theme, her dress, her gloves, and her mask which was made of what seemed like interconnecting gold vines, with a ruby dangling from under each eye like jeweled tears. Tedros was now feeling severely under dressed in his plain white dress shirt and navy trousers. The girl walked down the long staircase, a cape trailing behind her. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, all eyes on her. She looked both ways, as if she was looking for someone. The girl eventually walked away towards the refreshment table tucked away in the corner of the room. People went back to their conversations and the girl seemed to relax away from all the attention. Tedros decided to make a quick detour before heading over to his friends.  
"Hello"  
"Umm hi"  
She clearly wasn't expecting company  
"Sparkling cider?"  
"Yes please"  
Tedros served them both a glass of the bubbling drink in the dingy clear plastic cups provided by the teachers. He handed the glass to the girl and leaned against the pillar next to her. She took a nervous gulp of the drink. Tedros couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.  
"I'm surprised I've never noticed someone as beautiful as you before"  
The girl snorted before covering her mouth quickly, clearly the comment caught her by surprise.  
"Oh god"  
"What?"  
"My laugh"  
"What about it?"  
"It's ugly-"  
"I think it's quite cute"  
She laughed again, her nose scrunching up as she released a witch-like chuckle. In some ways it honestly was charming.  
"You're the first person to think that so cheers to you" She raised her glass and Tedros did too. They laughed at the sound of the cheap plastic clinking together. The girl's soft witch-like cackle filling his ears. He grabbed a cupcake from the table and took a bite,

"So, are you waiting for someone?"

"I'm looking for my friend but these stupid masks make it sort of impossible to tell who's who from a distance"

"You're absolutely right, can I help?"

"No it's ok, I'll probably walk around a bit to see if I can find her"

"I'll join you"

"No, i'm sure you have friends waiting for you"

"I don't"

"That seems hard to believe"

"It's hard to believe you only have one friend"

"Not so much, i'm quite different outside the mask"

Tedros shoved the rest of the cupcake into his mouth.

"Are you one of those jerks that hangs around with that airhead Tedros?"

Tedros choked slightly. He pulled the collar on his shirt as if it would help bring air pass through his airway.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah it's just that I hate the guy. So rude for no reason"

"Tell me about it, the prince thinks he's entitled"

Tedros coughed into his glove, "yeah"

"Here I think you might want to use this before we go." She handed him a silky golden handkerchief with red lace lining. His cheeks burned red. He wiped the frosting on the edge of his mouth. He offered her the handkerchief back, 

"it's ok, you keep it" 

He shoved the cloth into his pocket and followed the girl. He walked side by side with the mystery girl. He clasped his hands together behind his back as they rounded the entirety of the room searching for her friend.

~

"So, why are you hanging around me? I can't be that interesting" Agatha was genuinely curious. They had walked the entire perimeter of the room searching for Kiko who of course, was nowhere to be found because this was just her luck.

"Honestly, this little interaction of ours is the best I've had at any ball I've been to"  
"At least you have experience, I've never been to a ball"  
"Really? I would have expected attendance at least a few balls from a princess?"  
"Oh i-" Agatha stared into the stranger's deep blue eyes, "haven't been allowed. Strict parents, you know how it is"  
"Yeah.." Agatha suddenly regretted saying that. Parents was clearly a sore subject.  
"Are you sure you don't want to go dance with one of the girls over there? They've been staring at you for like half the night." Agatha noticed the stranger's slight blush on his tan cheeks. She had definitely taken note on how attractive he was. It was a sort of 'all up in your face' type of thing, kinda hard to ignore. His fluffy, curly blonde hair complemented his tan skin nicely, paired with his dazzling blue eyes, his muscular build, and his possibly royal status, he was definitely Sophie's type. Agatha had never really thought of any of the village boys as "attractive" It was pretty hard to look past the fact that they acted like jerks 99% of the time, just like half the boys at this wretched school. If they weren't annoying her, they were ignoring her. Which was fine, it's not like she craved the male attention like some of the people she knew. However, she was currently enjoying the company of her "prince charming" as he had put it. Agatha refused to call him that but he was refreshing to be around. The usual toxicity of everboys not present in him. It could also be because he didn't know she was "the witch" but for these short hours, she was going to enjoy the mystery. A mystery which seemed to intrigue the other girls as well. It was sort of hilarious that all it took for the snarky comments and side eyes to stop was a trip to the groom room and a mask.  
"Care for a dance? We've been talking all this time and not once have I offered"  
"I shouldn't, i'm not the best dancer"  
"Oh come on princess? Just one?"  
Agatha wasn't sure about how she felt about the nickname, on one hand, it made her feel all giddy inside, but on the other hand, it made her feel sort of like a fake  
"Just one, and don't start complaining if I step on you toes, I warned you,"  
He laughed, "I won't"  
Agatha took his hand as he led them to the center of the dance floor. Oh no was the only thing running through her mind. She was going to be humiliated in front of everyone  
"Breathe" he whispered into her ear as they began to sway to the music. Agatha noticed that people began to watch them like some sort of spectacle. Her pulse began to race,  
"Breathe, just focus on me and the music"  
"Ok"  
Agatha stared at those bright blue eyes behind the navy blue mask. The contrast of the blues only making his eyes look better. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter as they retained eye contact. This was definitely a foreign feeling. The song finished and to her surprise, she had actually enjoyed it. More and more couples began to dance alongside them. They were definitely going to get a good grade for this.  
~  
"I need a break, wanna go to the balcony?"  
"There's a balcony?"  
"Just some of the perks of trying to escape this place" She shrugged. Tedros was having too much fun to question it. He followed as she held his hand and led him through the crowd. They slipped between a pair of giant creme colored curtains. Tedros was in awe of the view, the balcony wasn't as minuscule as he had imagined. It turned out this balcony was more of a passageway to a secret garden. Tedros wondered if anybody even knew it existed. The night sky looked even more beautiful from here. She led him to a patch of grass underneath a floral overhang.  
"Isn't it beautiful?"  
"Yeah" Tedros spoke breathlessly clearly not caring about the backdrop. She only looked more amazing underneath the soft glow of the moonlight. The way the soft glow of the stars illuminated her dark brown eyes only made her more enchanting. Clearly she noticed him staring but she didn't seem to mind. She was staring right back at him. No words needed to be exchanged for them to both understand what the other was feeling. Tedros picked a blooming red rose from a rose bush beside him, he plucked off the thorns and pushed away her bangs before sliding it gently behind her ear. He couldn't help but watch as her cheeks rosied up under the edge of the mask. She returned the favor and slid a purple and white spotted flower behind his ear. Tedros loved the fact that this little gesture caused her smile to grow twice as wide. If this was all it took he would let her put an entire bouquet in his hair......maybe not that excessively but still.  
~  
Maybe it was the rose, or maybe the prolonged eye contact but Agatha was experiencing a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart. She didn't know how long it had been since they exited the dance but Agatha was enjoying his company thoroughly. She hadn't felt like this in...ever...This was really going to suck when real life set in. But she decided to enjoy the moment for now. Agatha was enjoying the moment so much that she began to lean in, there was just something about him. Maybe she shouldn't have, afterall, he was a stranger, but she couldn't resist, she wanted to know if the fairy tales were true. He followed her lead. Their lips were about to touch when the clock struck midnight, interrupting their almost kiss. Agatha pulled back, slightly embarrassed, her eyes went back and forth from his eyes to his lips.  
"I guess we should head back"  
"In a minute"  
Agatha swallowed, hard.  
"Is it ok if I..?"  
"Kiss me?" she asked  
Tedros nodded. Agatha took a deep breath. His hand reached up and rested on the nape of her neck as he pulled them closer to each other. Agatha's eyes began to close as their faces neared once more. Their lips connected and Agatha didn't know what to expect. His lips were surprisingly soft. It was cliche but it was almost as if they were made for each other. This was definitely better than the story books. They pulled away from each other, Agatha didn't realize she could become any more flustered until her eyes met his. He seemed to have the same thought as his cheeks became the same shade of rosy pink as hers. They both smiled wide at their awkwardness.  
"We should head back before they send the gargoyle's to look for us."  
"Yeah we really should"  
Tedros extended a gloved hand and she took it. They walked hand in hand back to the ballroom. Only a few people had already left.  
~  
"One final dance?"  
"Of course"  
The two enjoyed their last dance alongside a few stragglers. Tedros was definitely going to miss this. Being someone else was always easier than being the real you. The orchestra finished off the song and Tedros couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the fact that he might never see his mystery girl again. They followed the last of the students up the marble staircase.  
"So...this is goodbye"  
"Unfortunately"  
"What if we just say who we are"  
"Sadly, that would simply over-complicate things, it's better to just hold this night near and dear to our hearts and leave it at that"  
"But-"  
"I'm sorry" The princess grabbed his face and pressed a soft kiss into his cheek. Tedros couldn't help but watch as his mystery girl got away from him, but there was nothing he could do because she was right. It would over complicate things. He was laying in his bed, still dressed from the night just a few minutes earlier. Chaddick and Nicholas were already asleep. His only light was the bright moon shining throw the large glass window. It was late, he should probably go to bed soon. He stood up and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of pajamas and began to change. His hand slipped in his pocket and he felt a foreign object. It was a piece of cloth. Tedros climbed into bed again. He held the piece of cloth up to the window above his bed. It was the handkerchief she had given him earlier in the night. He clutched the cloth square in both hands as his eyes traveled over it. The only piece he had left of her was a stupid piece of cloth. His eyes scanned over the slight frosting stains when his thumb brushed over something embroidered. He ran his thumb over it again trying to figure out what it was. He moved his hand and held it up higher in the night. It looked like a random shape. He turned it upside down when he realized what it was. It was a letter, the letter 'A' It was a clue! he was now one step closer to finding his mystery princess.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I should make a part 2 of this
> 
> I hope you liked and enjoyed the first story in this book
> 
> I've had this one in my google docs since 2018  
> ~ T


End file.
